Golf is a sport that has been popular for several centuries. Today it is embraced by millions--young and old, men and women, and people from wealthy to those of very limited means. Most golfers soon develop a very high dedication to their sport. Many "duffers" are content with mediocre scores and principally enjoy the chance for an outing and the companionship of those with whom they play regularly. However, most enthusiasts work diligently to lower their scores. Often this involves repeated lessons from a professional who can observe the player on a practice course and offer suggestions as necessary to correct his or her swing.
Numerous mechanical devices have been invented that are supposed to help a golfer develop a proper swing. These range from the ridiculous to the very practical. Exemplary among the latter group might be mentioned the restraints described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,893,317 and 4,960,280 to Corder, Jr., designed to train a golfer to keep the arms in proper relationship to the torso. A somewhat more complex device is shown in Staats et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,306, intended to maintain a constant distance between the left pectoral muscle and the right forearm (assuming a right handed golfer).
Developing a smooth and consistent swing is one of the principle secrets of lowering one's score. One might imagine an imaginary axis running through the player's head and neck, down through the torso and crotch, and hitting the ground about midway between the feet. Assuming that the golfer is right handed, on the back swing the torso and hips rotate to the right around this axis while the head is essentially stationery. The feet remain in position but the weight is transferred to the right foot and the left heel is raised. On the forward swing this torso rotation is reversed. After impacting the ball, torso rotation continues to the left during the follow through. Weight is transferred to the left foot and the right heel elevates. Head position should be essentially stationary until the very end of the follow through. Both feet remain in their original location throughout. While there is necessarily some rotation of the hips, this is accompanied by maximum rotation of the spine, particularly the lumbar region.
As simple as this movement sounds, it requires precise muscle coordination akin to that of a trained dancer and is something that a surprising number of golfers fail to master. Like a dancer or competitive diver, the movement should ultimately become so well programmed and automatic that the golfer does not even think about it when hitting the ball.
Available time on golf courses tends for most people to be limited and relatively expensive. Thus anything that can be done at home or on a practice range to increase enjoyment on the course is welcome. The devices noted above are intended to serve that purpose. However, none specifically address well the matter of overall swing, particularly proper trunk rotation. The present invention is directed to that end and is a training and exercise device to assist a golfer in developing a smooth, accurate, and consistent swing. Golf professionals will also find the invention of significant value as a teaching device.